Minneapolis Wine Club
2005 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (4/19/2010)
Solid wine with cherry, spice, oak and vanilla on the nose. A juicy palate with good acidity. Plenty backbone on this wine and a medium finish. I decanted this wine 3 hours and I would imagine it would have tasted better day 2. (92 pts.)
2004 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (4/19/2010)
Medium purple. Nose of earth, spices, vanilla and red pepper. On the palate it lacks typical Washington State fruit and features spices, vanilla, oak and red peppers. Medium finish and tannic. (90 pts.)
2003 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley (4/19/2010)
On the nose leather, spice, cherry and pepper. Very complex palate with leather, spices, pepper, and oak. Still tannic and decanted for 3 hours. This wine is drinking really well and should age nicely for 10 plus years. (92 pts.)
2005 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/21/2010)
Nose of spice, oak, vanilla, smoke and cherry. What a powerhouse wine on the palate and shows a tremedous upside down the road. While I enjoyed Conn Valley wines young they certainly get better with age. (93 pts.)
2004 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Out-of-sight-vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/21/2010)
Wow! Medium purple. Nose of floral, cherry, chocolate, and spices. Very balanced wine and the palate has flavors bouncing all over the mouth. Really nice use of oak and there is a medium finish on the wine. A bit of chalk comes into the finish which was interesting. Well made wine! (94 pts.)
2007 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/21/2010)
An interesting wine that out of the bottle was great but 4 hours of decanting it lost its edge. A simple nose with spice, pepper and floral. Good flavors but nothing like out of the bottle. I will cellar the remaining 2 and see what happens. (90 pts.)
2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington (4/21/2010)
Another great showing. Decanted 5 hours. Forest floor, spices, coffee, cherry and earth dominate the nose. Very integrated wine with tons of complexity. No flaws on any part of the wine. The finish is long and shows spice, floral, coffee, cherry, plum and leather. This wine has it all and is drinking well now but I will revisit down the road. (95 pts.)
2005 Star Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (4/21/2010)
Spice, floral and minerals on the nose. Palate is solid and medium finish. This is the first Cab I have tasted from Santa Ynez Valley and I think with some time this could improve a few points. (89 pts.)